We hired Christalyn as our sibling doula for our 2nd homebirth in early 2017. Since we had a 3 year…read moreold who was very interested in being active in the birth, yet we weren't quite sure of when or how things would play out, we wanted someone else to be with her who was in tune with birth and could help her understand what was happening along the way. Christalyn was exactly that and so much more. She is so knowledgable about birth, and has such a calm but assertive presence that we would hands down hire her again for more doula work. She met with our family a few times before, so when she came in during the birth our daughter was SO excited. In fact, she told everyone for a good 9 months after the birth that she had her OWN Doula and it made the whole birth process special for her too, which as anyone with 2+ kids knows, is important in the transition process. Both my partner and I would hire Christalyn as our own doula if we still lived in SF for any future births, and we have varying needs and personalities so I think that says a lot! We were so happy she could be part of our son's birth, thank you!

Christalyn was a savior in my last moments of labor. After a grueling 36 hours with my main doula,…read moreshe came to relieve her (for some sleep) and picked-up quickly and effortlessly. Her energy was warm and positive and she had great knowledge of the inner workings of a birth centers and hospital births. You could also tell she has great passion for her work- she asked nurses about specific approaches and offered various ideas (even when it wasn't her task at hand). Even after the birth Christalyn proactively offered to help with taking photos, preserving my umbilical cord, etc. Things we hadn't thought of before. I would highly recommend Christalyn for her energy and dedication!

Shannon is everything we could have imagined for a doula--she is welcoming, warm, thoughtful, and…read morehas a lovely sense of humor! You get the whole package (and then some!) with her. As part of her doula services, she comes to your home for 3 prenatal visits, where you get the opportunity to try out practical exercises (from pregnancy massage techniques to pain alleviating exercises, talk through how your pregnancy is going individualizing our care and even review a manual binder that she provides for you. And of course, the main event, true labor and giving birth! Shannon has a way of just blending into your family during such an intense moment and your family's needs, stepping up and stepping down seamlessly, but always right there when we needed her. During labor/birth at the hospital, Shannon's belief and faith in me to surrender and brave through a natural birth never wavered. She really did it *all*--preparing bone broth for me to sip on in the midst of a contraction, acting as head cheerleader, setting the oxytocin mood in our delivery room with string lights, aromatherapy, and music. Oh, and not to mention, the hip squeezes and back rubs she provides in the most intense moments of labor. My husband and I had never been so impressed with a service before! Oh, I'm not done...she even did labor/birth photos for us, and a newborn session in our home two weeks postpartum. *cries happy tears* Thanks to Shannon, I experienced the most FUN and empowering birth. 12/10 recommend investing in her services!

For anyone seeking a birth doula, I wholeheartedly recommend Shannon. In our search, she stood out…read moreduring our initial meeting by not only trying to understand what we cared about but being able to reflect that understanding back at us with even more clarity. It was clear to us that Shannon's approach is personalized, recognizing that not every path to parenthood is the same. Having attended over 400 births, Shannon also brought a wealth of experience with her that shone through in her calming presence, well-balanced guidance, and the articulate birth plan she helped us craft. Her ability to address our worries without ever being dismissive, provide valuable advice at the right moment, and offer a diverse array of resources made our journey as first-time parents all the more enjoyable and helped us be prepared.

When people ask me how the birth of my baby was, they are constantly amazed at how I was able to…read moredeliver a giant baby au natural with no interventions or drugs and smile when I talk about it today. It's all because of my doula. Sandra is truly gifted and dedicated at what she does. Total labor was about 28 hours for us, with only the last 6 spent in the hospital. Sandra's experience enabled us to stay comfortably at home until we were fully dilated and ready to go. And her familiarity with the hospital staff was comforting once we got there. Many of the nurses knew her and you could tell they held true respect for this doula. Sandra is all business - always prepared at home visits to inform you of any and all aspects of birth and answer all questions that come to mind. She helped us tailor our birth plan and was persistent in making sure we had what we wanted. But the best part is that she balances this professionalism with a warm sense of humor that will have you missing her dearly the day after your baby is born. This was the best money I ever spent. And after delivering a healthy 10-pound baby girl the way we wanted to with no pressure from doctors or medical staff to "consider alternatives", I can honestly say that Sandra was worth every penny. Thanks to her, we recall this event as sweet and special instead of painful and traumatic.

Several of our friends have had children recently, and their experiences have been pretty varied…read more None of them had a natural birth, despite some of them setting out to do so. Our birth was over in 13 hours, with only 5 of those in the hospital, and there were no interventions whatsoever. We give all the credit for this to our sublime and fantastic Doula, Sandra. Sandra is not the cheapest Doula out there, but she is one of the most experienced, and our experience with her was nothing short of superb. Let's begin with the prenatal visits. Sandra took plenty of time to talk at length about all aspects of childbirth and gave us large amounts of help and advice that we would not have got elsewhere. She showed us positions to help ensure the baby was oriented correctly so as to avoid back labor, went through a number of strategies to help with the various stages of the birthing process, and helped us to prepare a birth plan. During the actual birth she was absolutely superb. I labored at home for 8h, during which my husband and I called her regularly to give her updates, and she gave us great advice. Finally she decided it was time to come and see us. She kept us at home longer than we would otherwise have stayed (while still getting us into the hospital in plenty of time), and helped me move around and take different positions so as to advance my labor faster. When we got to the hospital, she talked me through transition (when I started saying "I'm going to die" and "I can't do this"), and helped me through my three hours of pushing. Finally my healthy baby daughter was delivered by the wonderful Dr Hsiao. Sandra's presence was wonderful - she has a wicked sense of humor, but is 100% serious about birth. She always knew the right thing to say and do. She was authoritative about making me do the things she knew would make a positive difference to my experience, while ensuring that I did not feel pressured to do things that would not. I can't recommend Sandra enough - as I say, she was the reason I was able to have the natural birth I wanted. My experience was that natural birth was not half as scary as my imagination made it out to be. I spent the night after the birth wide awake in bed reliving my experience. I was on a total high after the birth which has stayed with me ever since (our baby daughter is now three weeks old). It has truly been the best experience of my life. Forget the money - Sandra is priceless.

Talia I worked with Talia through out my pregnancy, birth…read moreand postpartum periods, and I am so grateful for her support. She truly works from the heart, which is something you don't come across often. Talia consistently went above and beyond her role, always making sure I felt comfortable, informed and supported. Her presence during such an important time felt more like having a sister by my side than just professional. I would absolutely recommend Talia to anyone looking for a caring, dedicated and compassionate

Charley supported our family during the postpartum period after the birth of our twin babies. She…read morewas very attentive to postpartum recovery and shared helpful advice, including tips for caring for my C-section scar. She also offered to prepare homemade lactation treats. Most importantly, we always felt that our babies were safe and well cared for when Charlie was with us, which gave us peace of mind. We appreciated the support she provided to our family during such an intense and important time.

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, dang, that human was born to do this kind of…read morework and has a real gifting for it? That was my thought about Lauren after meeting her for the first time (she taught our 6 week birth prep course). This woman was in her element. She cared, she was knowledgeable, and and she lit up the room. To our pleasant surprise and an epic answer to prayer, she ended up being our doula and what a gift she was in that space for us too. Lauren knew when to say or do something and the art of not saying or doing. We ended up having a dream birth and I'm not sure I would have been able to do it without her support. She was a part of the dream birth. She came along and partnered with me and my husband in a way that complemented and strengthened. Lauren helped me to trust myself and my body. There are no guarantees with birth. I don't love Lauren because I had a dream birth; I love her because of who she is and am so grateful she was with us and for us in the tender, sacred space of birth. No doula is for everyone, but if something about her resonates with you, book a call to see if there's a match.

Lauren is incredible! She helped me bring both of my babies into the world and I couldn't imagine…read morethe birth experience without her. She brought such a truly compassionate, intuitive, calming, and empowering presence to the experiences, and navigated all of the twists and turns with us. She felt like part of the family, and made us feel so held throughout the entire process from prenatal to postpartum. I couldn't recommend Lauren more highly. I almost want to have another baby just to be able to work with her again! If you're considering hiring her, DO IT! She's the absolute best.

I feel incredibly grateful to have had Yula as our doula. I have very high healthcare literacy and…read moreknow I already had the tools to understand decisions related to my labor/birth and advocate for myself, so I was a little on the fence about working with doula at all. However, I also valued labor/birth as a potentially transformational experience and wanted in support in having an unmedicated birth if possible. After talking with Yula--whose calm and pragmatic demeanor left me also feeling calm and pragmatic--I decided she could help me prepare physically/psychologically for birth and serve not only as an advocate for me but also as a support during a time when both me and my partner would likely be in an altered state. This was beyond true and I cannot imagine my labor and birth experience without her. First, Yula was diligent in understanding my birth preferences. She offered evidence-based information and shared past experiences, but I NEVER felt like she had any agenda other than to support me and help me have the experience that I myself wanted. Second, she was very thorough in helping us prepare for labor. She had 3 meetings with us before my due date to talk through options we might be faced with, help us solidify our birth preference sheet that we would share with our healthcare providers, and practice hands-on ways to cope with labor. I especially appreciated guidance she gave us on perineal massage as well as exercises she offered to help me figure out ways that I personally best coped with pain/uncomfortable sensations. And finally, her support during my labor was invaluable. She offered extremely helpful hands-on counterpressure during my contractions, served as a very calm presence and helped ensure my labor room in the hospital stayed peaceful for me, repeatedly reminded our healthcare team of my preferences and ensured these were enacted so that I could focus on the incredible work I was doing to birth my baby. She provided support in a way that also allowed my partner to support me--she supported our connection rather than interrupt it. When I was doubting myself, she met my doubt with unwavering confidence in me and this helped me find more reserves (the energy gummies she gave me helped too!) Yula has an impressive fund of knowledge to share, yet always centered my experience. She is pragmatic, and also understood and supported the mystical/transformational experience of birth that I desired. I could not recommend her more highly.

I first chatted with Yula at a "Meet the Doulas" event (which she moderated) at Natural Resources…read morein SF. She was 1 of 2 doulas who started out by smiling and asking how I was doing, letting the conversation flow naturally, vs launching into a monologue about herself. I also liked her science-based approach (citing data and studies) and calm, no-nonsense demeanour (check out her website FAQ if you don't believe me :-)). All good signs. My husband and I had just one (3-hour!!) prenatal meeting with her at home to talk about hospital and medication logistics before my water broke (excellent timing!) In the days that followed, Yula sat down with us to formulate a birth plan and talk through pain management, helped us advocate for ourselves against the hospital-recommended induction, AND brought us yummy lemon pistachio cake from a nearby cafe. When I finally went into labour a few days later (no induction!), Yula helped calibrate my early contractions over text, then showed up at 4am and stayed by my side for the next 10 hours. She did whatever it took: applying firm yet gentle counterpressure when my back hurt, negotiating with a crabby nurse, singing with me as I chanted through the pain, guiding me through decision-making, and encouraging me with words of support at every turn. Best of all, when I ran out of steam about 12 hours in, she miraculously produced sachets of delicious marathoners' goo, which I sucked on to get me through the next 3 hours of pushing. She took some really incredible photos of the actual birth, too. We've been in occasional contact over text message in the weeks since, her checking in on me and the baby, me sending her questions and photos. I wish we could see her more often! She is warm, smart, and pragmatic -- a fantastic combination. As a first-time parent, I would highly recommend engaging a birth doula; if I could give Yula a 6-star rating, I would!! Thank you Yula for everything you did to ensure my birth experience was beautiful and safe. We love you :heart:

Lidia took care of our newborn son at night for 3 and half months. Like so many others have said,…read morewe really can't say enough about what a wonderful caregiver and person she is. She has a very calming presence and we fully trusted her; we looked forward to her arrival not just because we would get a much-needed break, but also because we enjoyed her company. As new parents, it was a relief to have Lidia. We knew that an expert would be coming by each night who would frankly be better capable of taking care of our child than we were, especially early on. She was a great resource and very giving with her time and knowledge, whether about diaper rash, feeding and wake schedules, pacifiers, sleep habits, eczema, etc. Lidia went above and beyond for us. She was proactive in identifying phases he was going through or issues he might have been having but without being pushy. She made suggestions but made room for our preferences as well. She worked to help him stretch through the night and to help him be able to sleep better / without a pacifier or in arms. She often did things that made her job harder but our life easier, e.g. feeding him right before she left so he would not need another feed until later in the morning. We feel very lucky to have been able to have her help and are thankful to have been able to learn from her. If / when we have more kids, we will definitely reach back out to book Lidia!

In brief: if you're fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Lidia, please don't…read morehesitate. She is an absolute treasure and the best investment you could make to support your growing family. Lidia was an incredible partner throughout our first 9 weeks of parenthood. We were completely clueless new parents when we arrived home with our baby girl- so sleep deprived and anxious that we were practically hallucinating. From night one, Lidia provided gentle support, non-judgmental expertise, and empathic care for our entire new family. After 9 weeks with Lidia, our baby had established healthy foundational sleep habits, we had grown more confident and knowledgeable about how to care for an infant, and Lidia truly felt like part of the family. We still rave about Lidia to all of our friends and miss her dearly. A few highlights worth noting: - Extremely professional: always arrived a few minutes early to debrief on the day and answer all of our questions. - Knowledgeable yet flexible: has a wealth of knowledge about infants but was never prescriptive or judgmental; offered insight in a gentle way while welcoming our needs and preferences. - Easy to be around: postpartum is a vulnerable time, but Lidia's calm demeanor made us all feel at ease (even with boobs out and bleary-eyed at 1am ) - Genuinely loves babies and has a knack for soothing them: we had complete confidence that our daughter would be cared for with love and skill whenever we handed her off to Lidia and face-planted into bed. As a sleep-deprived new parent, this feeling of relief was priceless.

I am sure I *could* have gotten along without Caroline, but thank goodness I didn't have to…read more Caroline is amazing. She's one of the best teachers I've ever met--gently guiding and encouraging you to find your own best answers with unparalleled patience and good cheer. I didn't think I'd need a lactation consultant but hired her as a postpartum doula--I knew a lot of new moms who had trouble with breastfeeding, though, and I am so so glad that I was lucky enough to have Caroline around from the very beginning. With her help I got breastfeeding going smoothly and experienced very little trouble. You'd think breastfeeding is the most 'natural' thing in the world, and it is! But having a friend there to help you over the bumps in the beginning is invaluable. I also joined the new mamas group and loved every minute of it. Whatever reason you have for seeking Caroline's services, you will not regret coming to her. Do it now! You'll only regret any delay once you've worked with her.

Caroline is amazing. There aren't enough words to express or quantify how she has helped us. We met…read morewith her before our baby was born to get advice on breastfeeding after delivery and talk about our questions and concerns. She then came to our house several times after our baby was born. We had a very difficult birth, with several serious complications for both my baby and me, resulting in a week in the NICU for my baby and an extra week in the hospital, including readmission, for myself. We received some lactation support in the hospital, but it paled in comparison to the care and support we received with Caroline. Her advice not only covered breastfeeding, but also in recovering from the physical and emotional trauma of our birth. She also helped me navigate my seemingly low supply and was the only provider to listen to us when we were concerned about our baby's low-ish weight gain. After charting his weight, confirming my output, and checking our baby, she identified that the issue wasn't about supply; our baby had tongue-tie. Even our pediatrician didn't check for this and didn't seem to bat an eye when our baby's weigh was almost the same between two visits that were several weeks apart. After meeting with a specialist and resolving the tongue-tie, our little guy was able to nurse much more efficiently and his weight got back on track.